MRes Arts Practice
Jean Kim is working and living in London. www.jeankims.com The human form is one of the most fascinating subjects to artists, and many throughout the history of art have explored it. Some see oneâs body as an object and others view it differently. From whatever point of view people see a body, there are psychological elements attached to it. It is more complicated than any other objects for artists to paint, because an interpersonal relationship is involved. I find that the sitterâs sense of self is affected by what kind of relationship he or she has with the painter of their body, and vice versa. When it comes to oneâs naked painting, the viewers of the final painting seem one of the participants in this art-making process. Artists have their own intention as to how viewers see their final paintings, not all the time, but most of the time. How viewers see their naked bodies through the painting is one of the concerns that models have when they are self-conscious. Thus, all the three parties are entangled in painting a naked body. In expressing nakedness, self-consciousness, and the weirdness of watching and being watched, the politics of vision is important. By exposing the modelsâ awareness of and gaze at those watchers, artists and spectators, I find that the three parties become more engaged with each other.
